Sesame Street Fires Longtime Human Stars Gordon, Bob, and Luis

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Things are getting a little bit Game of Thrones over on Sesame Street right now, minus the sex, plus the emphasis on children’s literacy. Apparently three long-standing Sesame Street actors, Emilio Delgado, Bob McGrath, and Roscoe Orman, known respectively as Luis the fix-it man, Bob the music teacher, and Gordon the science teacher, have been axed from the new HBO version of the show. “They let all of the original cast members go, with the exception of Alan Muraoka — who is probably 20 years younger than the rest of us — and Chris Knowings, who is also young,” McGrath told Florida Supercon 2016 earlier this month. “I have completed my 45th season this year. And the show has gone under a major turnaround, going from an hour to a half-hour. HBO has gotten involved also.” McGrath had been on the show since its premiere season in 1969, while Delgado became Luis in 1971, and Orman assumed the mantle of Gordon in 1974. Reports also claim the new HBOSesame Streetwill seek to appeal to “tech-savvy” kids via Muppets using smartphones. All of which begs the question: Which classic character is the next one to get the boot? Mr. Snuffleupagus doesn’t have hands to hold a tablet, so he seems like the obvious choice. And really, is a giant, semi-imaginary woolly-mammoth kindergartner even “relevant” anymore in today’s fast-paced child lifestyle?

Update: Sesame Street has responded to the news in a statement below, in which they claim that the cast members will still make appearances in “upcoming productions.”